Attic Greek

The Attic is a dialect of ancient Greek that was spoken in the region around Athens Attica. The Attic of the 5th century BC is considered to be classic form of Greek. On it builds largely the vernacular language ( koine ) the Hellenistic period, from which in turn developed and modern Greek. Within the ancient Greek dialects, the Attic is closely related to the Ionic dialect.

Importance

In Attic the most important writings of the classical period were written, among others, the works of the philosophers Plato and Aristotle, the historian Xenophon and Thucydides, as well as the playwright Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes. The political, economic and cultural supremacy of Athens made ​​the Attic the basis of the national common language ( Koine ) the Hellenistic period, which rose through the conquests of Alexander the Great to the world language and gradually supplanted by the other Greek dialects. From the 1st century AD, the Atticism, a movement which sought a " cleaning " of Greek and recourse to the classical Attic arose. The classical model was the norm of the Greek high-level language. Until the second half of the 20th century to the Attic ajar form of Modern Greek ( Katharevousa ) was taught as the official language in schools.

Characteristics

The following features distinguish the Attic of the other Greek dialects:

  • Originally ᾱ long ( ā ) remains ι, ρ, ε (i, r, e) receive (so-called Alpha purum ), otherwise it will cause η ( ē ). Example: Attic ἱστωρίᾱ ( historia ) against ionic ἱστωρίη (history ) and Attic μήτηρ (meters ) from Doric μάτηρ ( Mater )
  • ττ (tt) place σσ (ss) Example: Attic θάλαττα ( Thalatta ) against ionic θάλασσα ( thalassa )
  • Consistent contraction of vowels Example: Attic γένη (genes) against ionic γένεα ( genea ).

Weblink

  • Greek Language - article in the Encyclopedia of the European East ( PDF file, 977 kB)
  • Ancient Greek dialect
Koine Greek Ionic Greek Doric Greek
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